The present invention relates to a towing vehicle.
A towing vehicle for pulling a cart or the like has in the rear of the vehicle body thereof a coupling device through which an object to be towed is connected to the towing vehicle. Connection of the towing object to the coupling device of the towing vehicle is performed while moving the towing vehicle backward.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 05-199618 discloses a towing vehicle which is equipped with forward and backward inching switches that are operable from outside of the vehicle. The towing vehicle may be inched or moved slowly or by small degrees in forward or backward direction by operating the appropriate inching switch. The inching switches are provided in the rear of the vehicle body or at a position on one of the lateral sides of the vehicle body and adjacent to the rear corner of on the lateral side. When the inching switches are provided in the rear of a vehicle body, the operator of the towing vehicle operates the inching switches from behind the vehicle body, and when the inching switches are provided in one of the lateral sides of the vehicle body, the operator of the towing vehicle operates the inching switches on the lateral side of the vehicle body. The operator of a towing vehicle can move the towing vehicle in an inching manner by manipulating the inching switches.
An operator of the towing vehicle operating the inching switches on a lateral side of the vehicle body has difficulties in visually checking the coupling condition between the coupling device and the towing object. The operator manipulating the inching switches provided in the rear of the vehicle body needs to be present between the vehicle body and the towing object or a cart carrying a load. In this case, the coupling condition between the coupling device and the towing object is more visible as compared with the case in which the inching switches are provided on a lateral side of the vehicle body. However, some part of the field of view of the operator may be occupied or blocked by the vehicle body and the towing object and the field of view is reduced.
The present invention is directed to providing a towing vehicle which provides a good field of view that helps the operator of the towing vehicle to visually check the coupling condition between a coupling device of the towing vehicle and a towing object by ensuring a wider field of view of the operator.